France: every long stay route with the current math on the France country page.
Guide
France Long-Stay Visitor Visa (VLS-TS Visiteur) for Financially Independent Americans
How the French VLS-TS visiteur works for US passport holders who live on their own resources: the income threshold, housing proof, the consulate step, online validation after arrival, and what each step costs.
Published: 2026-10-16 · Last verified: 2026-10-16 · Numbers apply to US passport holders
Rules change. Confirm the current rules with the official sources linked below before you apply, pay a fee, or book travel around a date in this guide.
The numbers first
- Income: at least EUR 1,477.93 net per month, or EUR 17,735.19 per year, for a single applicant. Service Public gives this as the minimum resources for visitor status. It is the annual net minimum wage (SMIC) test that France Visas applies.
- Visa fee: EUR 99 for the long-stay visa.
- Validation after arrival: an online step on the ANEF portal. You must complete it within 3 months of entering France. The validation tax is reported as EUR 300 since May 1, 2026. It was EUR 200 before that.
- Length: up to 365 days on the 12 month VLS-TS.
- Follow-on visiteur card: EUR 350 the first time (EUR 300 tax plus EUR 50 stamp duty) and EUR 250 for each renewal.
- Path to the 10 year resident card: 5 years of regular residence.
Who this visa is for
The visitor visa is for people who will live in France on income that does not come from French work. Think pensions, rental income, investment income, or savings. You do not have to invest anything, and an investment cannot replace the resources test. The visa does not allow you to work in France. Full route details are on the France country page.
The income threshold, worked out
Service Public gives the figure as an annual net amount: EUR 17,735.19. Divide that by 12 and you get EUR 1,477.93 per month. This is a net figure, so compare it with what you actually receive, not your gross income.
- What counts: your own pensions, rents, investment income, and savings. Resources from a solvent guarantor, such as a family member, also count.
- What does not count: family allowances.
- Housing costs are part of the assessment. If you will pay high rent in France, your resources are judged against that cost, not only against the floor.
Compare the floor with the two nearest passive income routes. Portugal's D7 asks for EUR 920 per month (EUR 11,040 per year) for the main applicant. That is EUR 557.93 per month, or EUR 6,695.19 per year, below the French figure. Spain's non-lucrative visa asks for EUR 2,400 per month (EUR 28,800 per year). That is EUR 922.07 per month, or EUR 11,064.81 per year, above France. Details are on the Portugal and Spain country pages.
Proof of accommodation
The application needs proof of where you will live in France. The documents usually accepted are a lease in your name, a property title if you own a home in France, or a letter from a host who lives in France together with proof of the host's own housing. Because housing costs are weighed in the resources test, the address and rent you show should fit the income you declare.
Booking the consulate appointment
US passport holders apply from the United States. You fill in the long-stay application online on France Visas, choose the visitor purpose, and then book an in-person appointment at the visa application center for the consulate that covers where you live. You hand in your documents at that appointment and pay the EUR 99 visa fee, usually converted into US dollars.
Ask for the 12 month visa, not a shorter one. The 12 month visa is a VLS-TS, which works as a residence permit once you validate it. A shorter visitor visa (VLS-T, 4 to 6 months) does not lead to a residence card and cannot be renewed in France. If you plan to stay past one year, only the VLS-TS lets you move on to the visiteur card.
Validation after arrival (formerly OFII)
In the past, new arrivals validated this visa by mailing a form to OFII. Today the step is done online only, through the ANEF portal run by the Interior Ministry. A prefecture's official ANEF page says the validation is mandatory and must be done online only, within the 3 months after you arrive in France.
- Clock: the 3 months start on your date of entry into France, not on the date the visa was issued. If you arrive on March 1, you have until about June 1.
- What you enter: your visa number, your date of entry, and your address in France.
- Payment: the validation tax, reported as EUR 300, paid online.
- Result: once validated, the VLS-TS counts as your residence permit for the rest of its validity, up to 365 days.
Year two and beyond
To stay longer than the VLS-TS allows, you apply for a visiteur residence card. It costs EUR 350 the first time and EUR 250 for each renewal. Each renewal checks the same resources again. Here is the first two years at the current figures: EUR 99 visa plus EUR 300 validation is EUR 399 in year one. Add EUR 350 for the first card and you reach EUR 749 by the start of year two. Each year after that adds EUR 250 per renewal.
After 5 years of regular residence, you can apply for the 10 year resident card on the standard ground. It costs EUR 350 the first time. The prefecture checks for sufficient, stable, and regular resources, measured against the minimum wage level (EUR 22,404.20 gross per year full time). Time spent in France as a tourist before the visa does not count toward those 5 years. You can use the Schengen calculator to keep any pre-visa visits within 90 days in any 180 day period.
Tax residency: not a day count
France has no 183 day rule. Under Article 4 B of the Tax Code (CGI), you are French tax resident if any one of these is in France: your home (foyer) or main place of stay, your main professional activity, or the center of your economic interests. One test is enough. If you move your home to France full time on a visitor visa, you meet the foyer test from the day you move, even though you cannot work in France. The US France tax treaty can decide your residence if both countries claim you.
This works differently from both comparison countries. Portugal uses more than 183 days in any 12 month period, or a home kept as a habitual residence. Spain uses more than 183 days in a calendar year, or the center of economic interests. In France, you cannot plan your tax status by counting days.
Before you apply
Fees, the SMIC-based threshold, and the document list can change, and France increased several residence taxes on May 1, 2026. Check the current resources figure and fees on the Service Public visitor page. Check the document checklist and appointment process on France Visas and with the consulate that covers your US address. Check the validation tax on the ANEF portal on the day you validate. For tax questions, talk to an adviser who knows both the French Tax Code and the US France treaty.
Country pages
Portugal: every long stay route with the current math on the Portugal country page.
Spain: every long stay route with the current math on the Spain country page.
Official sources
- Service Public, visitor residence status and resources (F302)
- Service Public, resident card (F2208)
- Prefecture of Maine-et-Loire, validating a VLS-TS online on ANEF
- European Union, ETIAS and Schengen short stays
- Portugal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, means of subsistence
- Spain Ministry of Foreign Affairs, non-lucrative residence visa (US consulates)
Facts in this guide last verified against the sources: 2026-10-16